Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Greater Atlantic Region Catch Share Cost Recovery Program Updates
Key claim: NOAA is simplifying Greater Atlantic catch-share cost-recovery rules so Atlantic sea scallop, golden tilefish, and surfclam/ocean quahog fishermen face less paperwork and lower program costs.
Abstract
(Rule · Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) This final rule implements regulatory and administrative changes to improve the Greater Atlantic Region’s Catch Share Cost Recovery Programs. These updates are intended to simplify regulations and reduce costs for the Atlantic Sea Scallop Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ), Golden Tilefish IFQ, and Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) fisheries. This action will result in improved administration and management of the Atlantic sea scallop, golden tilefish, and Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries.
Why this matters
Cost-recovery fees are a direct expense for permit holders in limited-access catch-share fisheries, and the administrative design of how NOAA calculates and collects them affects both fishery revenue retention and agency overhead. Simplifying these procedures is a small but tangible reduction in regulatory burden for three Greater Atlantic fisheries, without altering the underlying quota or conservation framework.